First of all, I have to say that Agenda killed it. The F/W 18 exposition was more focused on the artists and small businesses this time around. The addition of Assembly was an incredible step up for the event and allowed hundreds of people to pick the brains of legends of their respective arts. Ronnie Fieg (KITH, collaborations with most recently Lebron James, Nike, Timberland, Asics, New Balance and many more), Bobby Hundreds (The Hundreds), Jaden Smith (What doesn’t he dabble in?) and Jeff Staple (Staple Design) were among the group of success stories on the list of speakers. The topics of discussion revolved around seeing the vision of what a company should be, and how to maneuver in this day and age in order to get there. Virgil Abloh was also attending the expo, DJ’ing for the official Agenda day one after party at XS, a club located at the Wynn Resort and Casino.

Here’s a recap of some of the most impressive and innovative exhibits this season.

FRIED RICE

The lower east side of New York has had 200 years of the heaviest immigration patterns in the United States. This brings some pretty good food and some pretty influential culture. FRIED RICE calls this home, and they are putting all of that culture into their clothing. Their fabric is sourced outside of the U.S., most of it coming straight from Japan. Their aesthetic is warm and bold at the same time. Splashes of plaids and mellow toned corduroy were everywhere. They’re right on scene for the changing trends, if not ahead of them. They use quilted Japanese denim and thick wool for jackets and coats. Their furs are also incredibly high quality, insanely soft and often retail for lower than what it costs to source and design the product. The collection ranges from $150 – $500. You won’t want to miss what they have coming this year. Images are from the new collection.

QUATRE CENT QUINZE

This brand from France has a wide range of styles. They currently have a collection on their site dedicated to the FIFA World Cup, and some pieces with contemporary art portraying our NBA stars and iconic rappers from the states. They use bright colors and use symbolism for many of their pieces, bringing a lot of creativity and differing perspectives to the brand. Their newest collection is what you should really look out for. The contemporary art feel of the airy blue skies and fluffy white clouds get their inspiration from travel – and the restriction of it. Their key piece involves a man with love and travel on his mind, with a boat of forsaken immigrants that are being barred from docking on dry land. There’s a lot of heart in this brand. Check it out. Images are from online collection.

RAGGED PRIEST

Ragged Priest has never disappointed. Out of London, this is any female’s one stop shop for anything bold. In the past seasons, they’ve brought key trends to light like mesh tops and bright colored plaids; and they’re still on, if not before, trend this season. Their exhibit was filled with bright colors and cute crops with embroidered sarcastic sayings. This year they’ve added chains to the premium denim that always stands out by itself. Check the utility styles they come out with this season. Construction orange strappy overall dress? Yes. Yes please. Images are from this season's collection online.

VOICE OF INSIDERS

This brand is one of those amazing finds you stumble across last minute that blows your mind. A student out of Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Qing Huang is making magic with clothing. He’s developed two lines so far that pull from the science of sport using fabrics that essentially bring more oxygen to the body, fabrics that are antibacterial, and fabrics used in NASA spacesuits that regulate temperature. Normally, these kinds of fabrics would be used for the athletic population, but Voice of Insiders is crossing the border into daily wear. Styled into bomber jackets, joggers, sweatshirts, tanks and high-tech parkas, this brand is not only great for your aesthetic, but also for your body. Images are from their Spring '18 lookbook.

ARTISTIX FASHION

Artistix Fashion has done what many brands need to do: make art into fashion. Each collection, they take a piece of artwork and form it into each piece. This season, they’ve chosen a beautiful molten lava like painting, and the pieces they’ve derived from it are bright, bold and sport inspired. Be sure to check their camo puffer jackets. They’re really high quality and with the bright yellows and reds and that painting in the mix, it’s an amazing cop. If you’re not a fan of this collection, they come out with entirely new ideas from new paintings every season, so keep checking! Images from the site.

SNEAKER LAB

Sneaker Lab is a simple shoe cleaning company, but there’s something more about them. They are the only truly environmentally safe shoe cleaning brand. They also collaborate with the Gold Youth Development Agency to support education and leadership for children in Africa. Their product is biodegradable, recyclable, and water based. And, yes it works. You can ask the satin toe on my Aleali May Jordans after a spill of long island iced tea. It came out easily and the satin is still exactly the same color and shininess.